Body image and exercise- why it isn’t always as obvious as it might seem

• bodyimage
• weightloss
• exercise
• toptips

 

Often personal trainers prescribe an exercise regime as a way for clients to boost their confidence, body image and self-esteem. Yet, whilst the intentions of the PT may be good, the health and well- being effects on the client can be the complete opposite.

But why can this happen? 

First, let’s take a look at what body image actually is.

The National Eating Disorder Association defines body image as “how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind”.

This definition can be further broken down into 4 aspects;

1. Perceptual- the way you see yourself

2. Affective- the way you feel about the way you look

3. Cognitive- the thoughts and beliefs you have about your body

4. Behavioural- the things you do in relation to the way you look

 

Many people, get into exercise because they dislike the way they look. There are 2 ways in which this can go;

1. This dislike can be a motivator for being more active, engaging in a healthier lifestyle behaviours and improve their overall health. Engaging in healthier behaviours is often what leads us to an improvement in body image from exercising as we end up taking better care of ourselves, and thus see ourselves in a more positive light 

2. Exercise can become a tool of self-punishment, and instead of exercise being a positive motivator to build healthier habits, it leads to people becoming dependant upon the exercise for their self-worth. These people may only see their body as good when they look a certain way, or when they are engaging in specific behaviours

 

Of course, we all aim for the former outcome, but it is important to recognise that the latter can also occur. And so, if a personal trainer puts a client on a plan with the intention of helping them build healthier habits, the opposite can occur and so these healthy habits lead to a decrease in overall health. 

Let’s look at an example:

You have a client named Emma. Emma approaches a PT as she wants to lose weight and get fitter. What Emma does not tell you is that she has a history of a negative relationship with exercise, and she often struggles to stick to a workout plan because 2 weeks in she’s still not looking like all the ‘Fitspo’s’ online.

This PT sets her up with a 12-week plan. She is put in a calorie deficit, takes progress photos weekly and has a holiday planned for the end of these 12 weeks. 

On paper this seems like it will help Emma to reach her goals; she’ll lose some fat, gain some muscle and thus look more toned for her holiday. 

But we all know that things are not always that simple. 

Emma gets halfway through her plan and feels like she looks worse than when she started. Her PT tells her that this is not true and points out the differences between her progress photos.

What her PT does not know is that she’s not focussing on the progress she’s made; she’s focussing on the differences between her body and the body of the model she follows online. 

Her PT tells you to keep going as she is doing well but she isn’t satisfied. So she starts spending extra time on the treadmill every day. Starts increasing her calorie deficit but hides this from her PT.

Exercise becomes a vice for self- hatred. When she’s in the gym she can train really hard and push herself way beyond her limits and of course she gets complimented for this. But then in her daily life, she’s struggling with everyday activities because she’s not eating enough and doing too much. 

By the end of these 12 weeks, Emma has lost more fat than her PT predicted. She is congratulated on this. She still doesn’t think her body is good enough and she’s going to carry on with her current regime because she thinks that people like her more now that she’s lost weight, and so her self-worth becomes dependant on becoming smaller. 

This cycle of self-hatred continues and what everyone assumes as Emma being really healthy is actually having a detrimental effect on her health and well- being. 

Of course, this is an extreme example, but it helps you to see why having an understanding of body image is so important as both a personal trainer and an individual. 

Surely you would rather work with people to help them feel better about themselves and have a more positive body image rather than just focussing on the results of a plan. 

So where do we go from here? 

It’s important to note that the example above is just one example. Some people may have had a huge improvement in body image under the same conditions, others may not have had any body image issues, to begin with.

The important thing is that every single person that a PT works with will have a different relationship to their body and exercise and there is no one magical way of training that will work for everyone. This is where compassion and research come into play. 

Either as an individual or a PT, it is important to acknowledge the thoughts and feelings that someone has about their body and how these things can manifest physically and emotionally. 

If, as a PT, you recognise any signs or symptoms from a client that they have a negative relationship with their body then it’s important that you get to know them; learn about their habits, their history with exercise and food. Having this extra information about a client can help you to know how you can help them and work out what is best for them, whether that be signposting them to speak to a GP or changing the focus of their exercise and lifestyle behaviours. 

This is an extremely brief introduction to the relevance of body image and how it can affect someone’s relationship with exercise. Often negative body image can be a bi-product of existing mental health issues and exercise is not a panacea for these sorts of issues.

Here are some links to further resources:

1. Study into body image as a motivator and barrier to exercise participation https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1172&context=ijes#:~:text=These%20findings%20show%20that%20body,body%20image%20increases%20exercise%20participation.&text=While%20body%20image%20may%20act,13%2C%2018%2C%2020). 

2. The relationship between body image and exercise type https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1438&context=honors 

3. https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/orthorexia-excessive-exercise/exercise-and-body-image 

4. https://positivepsychology.com/positive-body-image/ 

 

Author: Grace Carnall

Instagram:Grace_carnallpt

The author of this article/blog/ is studying to become a Level 3 Personal Trainer. Further detail regarding the author can be found via the website or social media handle listed above.

 

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